


Embrace the Shadows

by LlamaQueen216



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Jakku, Planet Naboo (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LlamaQueen216/pseuds/LlamaQueen216
Summary: It's been 6 years since the Jedi Temple was destroyed. Evelyn has spent that time in Naboo, running an orphanage in a small village in Naboo with Kamie Sarden, an old friend of Luke. After waiting for a message from General Organa for what seemed like an eternity, the First Order shows up in her village, forcing her to flee. Done with waiting, Evelyn starts searching for the Resistence base. She meets the infamous Kylo Ren, and tries to bring him back to the light, while at the same time trying to fight the darkness in herself. Will she bring him back to the light, or will she succumb to the darkness that has been fighting for so long to break free?
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies!  
> I haven't done much writing in a long time, so apologies if it isn't great. :P  
> Constructive criticism is encouraged! 
> 
> Wishing you all the best!  
> ~ Laura H.
> 
> *I do not own Star Wars or most of it's characters. I own a few of the characters, and some parts of the plot.*

Ear piercing screams and the smell of smoke woke Evelyn up, and her jade eyes flew open. The large room had a slight orange glow and she looked over at her bedroom door, thick grey smoke was pouring out of the cracks and she swore loudly.

She threw her covers off, letting them land on the ground. She quickly pulled a grey t-shirt on her thin torso, put a pair of black pants over her long legs next before pulling on a pair of black leather boots that ended 2 inches below her knee. She threw on her belt and grabbed her lightsaber, clipping it to her belt. Finally, she threw on a jacket and zipped it up.

Evelyn ran over to the window, thankful that her room was only on the 3rd floor. Looking out with her hand holding on to the edge of the window for support, her green eyes scanned her surroundings. The Academy was burning, and rubble was falling to the ground. Flames danced all around the school. Bodies littered the courtyard, some burned beyond recognition, and some crushed under boulders. There were a few who had wounds that came from a lightsaber.

Her eyes froze when she saw one of her classmates fighting a masked figure who was wearing a long black cloak. The green and red lightsabers crashed against one another loudly enough that even she could hear them. She could not tell which of her classmates it was, but they looked to be a couple years younger than Evelyn. She took a deep breath and inhaled more of the smoke, began to cough violently, tears beginning to fall from her eyes and her body sweating like mad from the heat of the fire, which only became hotter with each passing second.

The person who was fighting her classmate's lightsaber was red, like that of others who used the Dark Side, but it was slightly different than any other Evelyn had seen before. It was the cross-guard style, an ancient design that she had only ever seen pictures of in books, and it made the weapon look like a sword. It had a haunting beauty, and she was mesmerized for a minute, both by the weapon and by the person wielding it. Their movements were quick and agile, and they moved with extreme grace. It almost seemed like they were floating.

Her blood turned to ice when she saw the masked figure pull the green lightsaber out of its owner's grasp with a wave of their hand, the weapon landing on the grass a couple of feet away from the pair. Whoever it was grabbed Evelyn's classmate by the throat, lifting them in the air before thrusting their lightsaber through their abdomen. The figure quickly ripped the lightsaber out of her classmate's body, tossing it on the ground without a second thought.

**"NO!"**

The screams that made its way out of Evelyn's mouth were loud enough to be heard over the roaring of the fire and the rubble crashing against the ground. She swayed a little, so she gripped the edge of the window more tightly, her knuckles turning white. It was the only thing stopping her knees from giving out. Hot tears of agony and anger began pouring out of her eyes, and she began to see red.

The masked person's head snapped up, quick as a flash. They looked directly at Evelyn and she froze in terror. She stared at the figure, and they were staring right back. She snapped out of it when a large piece of rubble crashed to the ground not far from her and she looked over at where it had landed.

The fall was going to hurt, but not too much.

_Hopefully._

She jumped down, silently praying as she fell.

Evelyn had to put her hands out to make sure she did not hit the ground face first. Her palms and feet stung a little as they hit the ground, but otherwise she was unharmed. She looked up, pushing her long black hair out of her face, allowing her to see better. Evelyn let out a strangled cry as she recognized the body laying closest to her. She made her way slowly over to Nirah's body and gently placed her hand on young girl's cheek.

She was still alive. But barely.

Nirah had been stabbed in the abdomen by a lightsaber, like the classmate Evelyn had just watched die. Her short blonde hair was matted in blood and dirt. She coughed a few times and grabbed Evelyn's hand weakly, staring into her eyes.

"Who did this to you?" I choked out.

Nirah opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get any words out, her grip on Evelyn's hand disappeared, and her hand fell to the ground slowly. Nirah's brown eyes were glued to hers, but there was no light shining from them any longer. She reached down and gently closed Nirah's eyes, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Evelyn sat there for a few minutes, sobbing on her friend's shoulder. Suddenly, the fire crackled loudly beside her, making her jump. It had spread dangerously close and she quickly got to her feet. The fire in the Academy was blazing out of control, it would not be long now before the whole thing was nothing but rubble and ash.

 _She needed to get out of there, and soon_.

She took a deep breath and looked around for an escape out of the burning school, the heat was become almost too hot to bear. Evelyn was sweating like crazy, and her coughing became more severe. The smoke had become much thicker, making it more difficult to see.

Did the masked figure leave? Were they looking for her?

Thinking about them, whoever they were made the rage in her boil up, threatening to explode.

She would find out who they were, she would hunt them down, and she would kill them.

Perhaps slowly... and painfully.

She made her way, swiftly but carefully around the courtyard to the best of her ability, stepping over rubble and the bodies of the people she had known most of her life, trying not to look at them while she went. A piece of rubble the size of a speeder began to fall towards her, but she managed to jump out of the way just in time before it hit her, falling to the ground in the process. She let out a grunt as she skinned her knees on the ground. She got up and kept going, hopping over a piece of rubble in her path.

But before she could manage to escape, a piece of rubble the size of a basketball crashed down, hitting her on the head before it hit the ground.

She crumpled to the ground.

Evelyn could faintly hear Master Luke's voice, shouting somewhere nearby. He was searching for survivors.

And then she was swallowed up by darkness.

**************

**One Week Later**

**************

Evelyn opened her eyes and immediately shut them again. Her head was pounding, and she groaned softly as she brought one hand up to her forehead, rubbing it gently. It felt like someone was stabbing her in the temple. At least the light was not too bright, that would have made it even worse.

She looked around the room. It was simple, but comfortable. In the corner sat a small bookcase, and beside it a desk with a holoset resting on it and a comfortable looking chair sitting up against it. The bed she laid in was more comfortable than she had expected, and the green blanket was quite soft. There was also a small side table to her right. The walls and floors however, made the room look slightly depressing, both metal and grey. There were some vines crawling out of the walls, and immediately she knew she was somewhere underground.

Despite this, she did not sense any danger. Instead for some strange reason, she was feeling a sort of peace that she had not felt in years. It warmed her and she sighed softly, letting herself get lost in the feeling for a time.

Her head snapped towards the door as she heard it opening. General Leia Organa walked in, holding a glass of water. She looked exhausted, and there was a sad smile on her face, but she still had that same gleam in her brown eyes that Evelyn had grown to love as a child. Her face had aged, and Evelyn could tell that the events of the last 6 years while she had been on Naboo had taken quite a toll on Leia.

Evelyn's eyes immediately filled with tears of both sorrow and relief.

_So that was why she was feeling that sense of peace._

"Leia," she choked out. Her voice cracked from not being used, her mouth felt raw and dry.

Leia walked over to the bed, putting the glass down on the side table as Evelyn sat up. She sat down beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace. They sat like that for a little while, Evelyn sobbing into Leia's chest while Leia rubbed her back gently.

"I have missed you so much." Evelyn said, swallowing hard.

"I have missed you too, Evelyn." Leia responded softly.

After a few minutes, Evelyn pulled away and wiped her eyes. Leia grabbed the glass off the side table, handing it to Evelyn. She gave Leia a grateful look before she pulled the glass up to her lips, relaxing slightly as she drank the water.

"I can't even imagine how you must feel right now, after going through what you just have." Leia said softly, stroking Evelyn's hair gently.

"Did anyone else survive?" She whispered, terrified of what the answer would be. She put the empty glass on the side table.

Leia took a minute before responding, "Not from what we know. Just you and Luke." She replied. Taking Evelyn's hand, she began to rub the back of it, moving in slow circles. A few stray tears slipped down Evelyn's face, and she wiped them away, sighing. She knew she was the only student left; she could just feel it.

"So, Ben...?" Evelyn's words trailed off, her voice cracking at the end.

Leia hesitated for a few moments, as if she were trying to decide what to say. "He's gone." She said finally, and then she began to cry silently. Evelyn had never seen Leia cry before; she had always acted so strong. But she understood why. Leia had just lost her son. Her heart was broken, just like Evelyn's.

Now it was Evelyn's turn to pull Leia into a hug. They cried silently together for what seemed like forever. They finally pulled away, and Leia held Evelyn's hands in her own. Leia looked into Evelyn's eyes, pausing for a moment to decide if she was going to say something.

"You loved Ben, didn't you?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Evelyn sat there for a minute, playing with the necklace he had given her when they were younger as she bit her lip.

"Yes." She said softly, nodding her head.

"You are strong enough to get through this." She said firmly, gently pulling Evelyn's chin up so she could look into her eyes. Leia smiled at her.

"We are strong enough to get through this." She corrected Leia, squeezing her hands, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.

Leia smiled at her and Evelyn looked down again.

After a minute, she looked back up at Leia again and asked, "Is Luke here? Can I talk to him?"

Leia let out a long sigh, "He left. No one knows where he has gone. I'm sorry, Evelyn."

Evelyn's headache reappeared and she groaned, putting her hand up to her head once again, rubbing it.

_It angered her that Luke just left them when they needed him most._   
_When she needed him most._

"You got a pretty bad concussion after some rubble fell and hit you on the head. Luke found you and brought you back here." Leia said, looking at Evelyn's head.

"Was I out for long?"

"One week." She replied.

Evelyn nodded slowly, the motion irritating her headache, she winced. "Okay. What are we going to do now?"

"The First Order are going to be constantly be on the lookout for any Jedi who may have survived the attack. They want to wipe the last of you out." Leia looked at her.

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"You should go into hiding. Luke talked to a friend of his, and she is willing to let you stay with her." She finished.

"Who is it? And where do they live?" She asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them.

"Kamie Sarden, she lives on Naboo. She runs an orphanage in a small village. She's offered to let you help her."

Evelyn sighed softly, "Why can't I stay with you and the Resistance? I do not want to just be hiding out. It is cowardly, and selfish. I should be fighting, too."

"You're the last Jedi, other than Luke. We cannot let them find you. You are in the most danger. You will be safer if you are not with the Resistance, at least for now." Leia told Evelyn, trying to soothe her.

"What about everyone else? Will they be safer with me gone?" Evelyn questioned, pursing her lips.

"I don't know." Leia answered honestly, shrugging her head as she sighed.

Evelyn's shoulders sagged, a look of defeat on her face.

Leia placed her hand on her shoulder, "It will be okay. How about this? You spend some time training while living with Kamie, build up your strength. When we need you again, we will call you." She insisted.

_Evelyn didn't like this plan, she didn't like just sitting around._   
_At least she didn't feel like she would be useless, she would be tending to children._   
_She would keep them safe._   
_No matter what._   
_Besides, she trusted Leia._

Evelyn gave her a small smile, "Promise?"

Leia smiled back at her, "Promise." As she pulled Evelyn into another hug.


	2. Chapter 2

**6 years later**

************************

**Evelyn's POV**

************************

"Alright, go get ready for dinner, and get the other kids!" I told Qu'arni, giving him a small smile.

He grinned up at me, his yellow eyes shining brightly and nodded before he turned and ran out of the room, his bright red hair bouncing as he ran. I let out a tired sigh as I sat down on a chair, running my hands through my hair. I got lost in my thoughts, I had been feeling a darkness looming nearby recently. Something bad was going to happen, I just knew it.

A few minutes later, the children filed in excitedly. Most of their parents had been in the Resistance when they were killed. They were between the ages of 4 and 14. None of them caused trouble very much, and I enjoyed being around them. The older kids were always helpful, offering to clean up or watch the other children so Kamie and I could have a few moments to ourselves.

I was thankful, we did not always have enough to eat, but now we were doing okay. We had enough so that everyone could have a 1/4 to a 1/2 portion, depending on how hungry they were. We made sure that no food went uneaten. They helped set the table, and once we had all finished eating, they helped Kamie and I clean up the dishes.

Kamie looked at me, "Why don't you go outside and wait for me, while I finish up in here?" She started walking over to the children.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes, "I smiled.

"Alright, everyone! Time to get ready for bed!" Kamie called to the children. Before I walked out, one of the younger ones ran over to me, grabbing my leg and hugging it tightly. She looked quite a bit like Nilah, and often when I looked at her, I felt a stab of sorrow deep in my chest. I missed her so much.

"Night, night Evie!" Briella called. She could not pronounce Evelyn, but I did not mind. I scooped her up, giving her a big hug. She wrapped her small arms around my neck, and I sighed deeply. Then I kissed her nose, making her giggle before I set her down gently. "Have sweet dreams, Briella." I ruffled her hair and smiled at her. She bounded away from me, catching up to the other children.

I walked out, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. It was a beautiful night. The sky reminded her of a freckled face and there were only a few clouds, not enough to hide the moons. I smiled, ever since I moved here, I have always loved looking up at the sky at nighttime. It was one of my main past times, and I did it almost as often as I trained. Sometimes I would even take breaks from training to look at it for a while. I especially loved training in the moonlight, it gave everything such a beautiful glow. Especially my lightsaber, the purple blade looked almost ethereal in the glow. I reached down and grasped it gently, it had been so long since I had used it. I could not deny, I missed cutting through the flesh of my foes with it. It had been so long since I had been in a proper fight.

I was playing with my necklace when Kamie stepped out. I looked up at her, she was looking up at the sky. "It's especially beautiful tonight." She smiled at me and I nodded in agreement. We spent a short time sitting in silence, just staring at the sky together. The village was quiet, only a few villagers milling around. Most were in their houses, getting ready to turn in for the night. The two of us stood up after a little while, wiping the dirt from our pants we began to walk around the village, making small talk.

"Any word from the Resistance?" I asked once we got back to the orphanage, my voice low despite there being no one in sight. The last of the villagers had finally gone in their homes.

I knew what the answer was before she opened her mouth, "No, nothing." She sighed, knowing how much it bothered me. I liked the children at the orphanage, and I was happy that they were not walking around begging for food, but I hated not being able to fight with the Resistance. I did not feel completely useless, but I needed to do more.

I was becoming more restless with each passing day.

We sat back down, and I pulled my knees up to my chin, resting it on them as I bit my lip. Kamie looked over at me and reached over, placing her hand on mine, "Are you alright? You've been a lot more tense than usual lately."

I squeezed her hand. After knowing each other for 6 years, we had grown to know each other quite well. I considered her to be like a sister. "Lately, I've been sensing something dark coming. My dreams are trying to tell me something, but I just can't figure out what." I looked at Kamie, furrowing my brow as she looked back at me with a worried look on her face. She turned to look at the forest on the other end of the village, and then back at me.

"Are you going to do some training tonight?" She asked.

Not long after I had come here, I had managed to find a quiet spot in the forest with enough space for me to train. No one else was ever there, so it was a safe place for me to practice with my lightsaber. I had to be cautious to try and avoid someone in the village finding out about me being a Jedi. If someone discovered me, they would probably decide to alert the First Order. I am sure many of the families would do it without a second thought as I imagine the First Order would pay quite well for information regarding Jedi.

I gave Kamie a small smile and nodded.

She returned the smile.

After a few minutes of looking up at the stars in silence again, a First Order ship appeared in the sky, breaking that silence. Our eyes widened in fear and alarm, then Kamie ran inside for a moment and came back out with 2 blasters in her hands, giving one of them to me. My hand brushed the hilt of my lightsaber as I considered using it.

I will only use it if I absolutely must. The village will almost certainly be destroyed if they find out that a Jedi is hiding among them.

As the ship landed, spraying dirt up in the air, the lights turned on in the houses around us and some of the villagers came outside with their blasters raised, ready to defend themselves and their loved ones. The sound was deafening. The doors of the ship opened and stormtroopers marched out of it, their steps perfectly in sync. Their white armor seemed to glow in the moonlight, but the last one to leave the ship was slightly different from the others.

Their armor was a dark silver and carried an air of authority. The stormtroopers created a path in the middle and the silver one walked through it; blaster held against their chest as they looked around at the villagers. I heard someone address the silver stormtrooper as Captain Phasma.

I heard noises behind me. Kamie heard it as well because we both turned to see what it was. The children had sneaked out of the house, and were now staring at what was going on, looks of terror on most of their faces. "Go back inside!" I told them before Kamie, and I turned back around. There was some shuffling, and I thought that they had listened to me.

A tall man with long red hair took a step towards the stormtroopers, he was somewhere in his mid-30's. He held his head high, trying his best to hide the terror that was radiating off him. He spoke in a clear and confident voice, and I was surprised that it didn't tremble, "What can we do for you? We are peaceful people, and do not want any trouble."

"You asked for trouble when you took in people who are part of the Resistance." Captain Phasma said, the robotic voice made me cringe in annoyance.

A look of complete shock crossed the man's face, all the confidence from his voice was gone and his fear began to show. "W-w-what do you mean?" His voice cracked at the end.

"Children." Phasma replied simply.

My blood turned to ice.

"Children have no part in the Resistance!" The man yelled, his hands beginning to shake.

"That is irrelevant." Said Phasma.

"W-what children?" He asked.

_What children?_   
_Why the hell does that matter?_   
_They're just children!_

"The orphanage children." Phasma replied.

_Fuck. I should have known._

"Over my head body." I growled.

With their blasters raised, 5 stormtroopers started making their way towards us. Kamie and I began shooting and they fired back. I ducked to avoid getting shot, and suddenly two of them grabbed Kamie, her blaster falling to the ground. I took down the other 3 stormtroopers who were closest to us, and then I turned to look at the villagers.

They just stood there, watching. Some even went back inside of their houses. One of the stormtroopers used my momentary lapse of concentration to kick me in the stomach and I fell to the ground, grunting. Seeing nobody bothering to help us made my vision go red. I noticed Kamie thrashing violently, still being held by the stormtroopers. My blaster was lying only a few feet away from me.

I picked it up, but before I could shoot the ones holding Kamie, the stormtrooper who had kicked me whipped me across the face with their blaster and I fell again. I grit my teeth, struggling to get up. Kamie started screaming and I looked over at the children to see an 8-year-old boy get shot in the stomach, and a 6-year-old girl get shot in the head while other children tried to run. Some of the older kids even tried to fight back. And some were already lying on the ground, one of them was Briella, and I had a flashback of the moment when I watched Nilah die. I felt the darkness pulsating from every inch of me.

_I have failed them._

The stormtrooper stepped on my left hand and I cried out in pain, raising my right hand, I pushed him away. A stormtrooper tripped over him and I got up as quickly as I could.

Qu'arni was the only one still alive, and without another thought I pulled out my lightsaber as I ran towards him, igniting the blade as I yelled, my eyes burning with fury. The stormtrooper's gun was pressed up against Qu'arni's head who was staring at me in complete terror, tears streaming down his little face.

A shot rang out, and his body fell to the ground

**"NO!"**

I cut off the stormtrooper's limbs one by one before beheading him, screaming wordlessly with every stroke. Sweat poured down from my face as I struggled to control my breathing. I heard Kamie scream again behind me and turned around.

 **"RUN!"** Kamie screamed before being shot right in the heart. She stared at me as she crumpled to the ground.

I screamed again, rage completely overtaking me as threw my hand out, pushing 10 stormtroopers into the air. As they hit the ground, multiple stormtroopers tripped over them, and I would have laughed if I were not so filled with rage.

I briefly looked at the bodies of the children and Kamie one last time before I returned my lightsaber to my belt. Turning, I ran into the house and grabbed my pack, lying by the front door. I grabbed some water and all the rations that were left, picking up my jacket and throwing it on before I walked out the door. I almost ran into 3 stormtroopers and put my hands in front of me, throwing them back.

Turning, I ran towards the forest as the stormtroopers shot at me. One hit me in the forearm, and I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the pain. I jumped over fallen tree trunks and zig-zagged through the trees. Branches whipped me in the face, leaving small cuts all over my face, but I ignored them as I kept running, my anger fueling my adrenaline.

_The First Order got what they wanted. If they decide to destroy the village, I do not give a fuck. The villagers all just stood by and watched as the First Order murdered the children, and Kamie. I do not care if they all die._

_In fact._

_I hope they do._

_************************ _

After running for who knows how long, I decided to stop and rest. I was certain that I had lost them a while ago. I was not sure why I kept running for as long as I had.

I examined the blaster shot on my forearm; it was nothing overly severe. Ripping part of my sleeve off, I ripped it in two. I wet the first piece with some of my water, taking a drink as I did. I cleaned the wound as best I could with only the water and then I grabbed the other piece of my sleeve and used it to wrap my forearm. Once I was done, I raised my hand up to my face, touching in the places where it was stinging a little from the branches hitting me in the face as I ran.

Without warning, the memories of what just happened started flashing through my mind. I screamed out in agony, falling to my knees. My body became overwhelmed with sobs and I sat there for what felt like forever, mourning the children and Kamie.

Once all my tears had dried up, I sat up slowly, wiping my eyes. I looked up at the sky, taking deep breaths and trying to calm myself down. It was not working very well so I crossed my legs, resting my hands on my knees I closed my eyes. Taking slow, deep breaths I focused on the sound of the wind which blew gently, just a soft breeze. I rose a few inches off the ground, my eyes still closed as I calmed myself down gradually.

After about an hour of meditation, I slowly lowered myself back to the ground. I was suddenly overcome with exhaustion and let out a loud sigh. Looking around, I managed to find a little spot under a fallen tree that would keep me hidden and safe from the elements. I made my way over to it and laid down, taking off the pack I used it as a pillow, and I used my jacket as a blanket. As expected, it was damn uncomfortable, but I was too tired to care.

I quickly drifted off to sleep.

************************

_I was surrounded by sand. I spun around in circles, but it was all I could see._

_Where the hell am I?_

_I stopped spinning, dizzy suddenly, and leaned over, putting my hands on my knees I put my head between them, closing my eyes. I took a few deep breaths before I stood back up. The dizziness had passed, thankfully. I opened my eyes, and suddenly there was someone wearing a brown cloak, the hood up to conceal their identity. They were standing in front of me, staring at me, and all I could see was their hazel eyes._

_"Where am I?" I questioned, taking a cautious step towards the person, my hand grasping the hilt of my weapon._

_"Where you need to be." They answered._

_I rolled my eyes, "Alright, I'm not in the mood for some cryptic bullshit right now. Just tell me what planet I'm on."_

_"Jakku." They finally said, after a minute of silence._

_"And what will I find here?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest._

_"What you seek."_

_The corner of my lip twitched, and I groaned, throwing my hands up in the air in defeat. "Whoever you are. You are a real pain in the ass."_

_I ran my hand through my hair._   
_What do I seek?_   
_And then it came to me._

_My eyes locked on to theirs, lighting up in realization. "A way back to the Resistance."_

_They nodded, and then they disappeared._


	3. Chapter 3

**Evelyn's POV**

************************

My eyes flew open.

_Jakku._

That is where I had to go.

"How the hell am I going to get there?" I said out loud. I closed my eyes so I could concentrate.

_Theed is south from the old village. It is a good thing I ran south._

I calculated in my head how long it would take to get there on foot. After a minute or so, I guessed it would probably take about 2 hours.

_Not too bad._

I ate a half portion, still having plenty left because I was the only one eating it. I thought about the children and Kamie again, trying not to cry. Surprisingly, I was successful. I had a long drink of water and then counted my rations.

_**14.** _

I hoped that whoever I asked for a ride would not ask for too much. I did not know how much I would need for the rest of the journey. I figured I would be okay, though. I often felt satisfied eating only a half portion. I got up and wiped the dirt off me and quickly checked the wound on my forearm. Luckily, I did not get any dirt in it as I slept, an infection was the last thing I needed. I stretched and then crouched down, putting all my stuff back in my pack.

I continued heading south. I spent the first half hour running, and then I walked for the next half hour. I did that a second time, and finally arrived in Theed. By then, sweat was pouring down my face. I walked through the town. It was busy, and I had to weave around a lot of people. It slowed me down a little, which made me huff in annoyance. I needed to get to Jakku. I knew it would take at least a few hours to get there. I hoped I could find a pilot who is either on their way there already, or willing to stop there on the way. I figured the best place to start was a bar, a busy one. I was sure I would be able to find someone in there who would take me where I needed to go.

I walked slowly through the room, my eyes roaming over the various people in the room. Some eyed me with curiosity, some suspicion, and some were checking me out. Typical for a bar. I rolled my eyes, but otherwise ignored them all. I decided to ask the owner if she could help me out. I walked over to her, giving her a small smile. She was petite with skin the same shade of the sky here in Naboo during the day, and her eyes were a bright purple.

"Hey." I sat down, looking at her. "Any idea if there are any pilots around here who would be willing to help me out? I will pay them. I can even pay you a little bit." I shrugged, giving her another smile.

She nodded her head towards a man in the corner of the room, "Vihney will probably do it, for the right price." giving me a shy smile, an excited look in her eyes appearing when I mentioned I was willing to pay her. "Thanks, hope you have a good night." I gave her another smile and passed her 2 full portions. Her mouth hung open for a moment, probably surprised that I was willing to give her 2 portions just for giving me a bit of information. Then she grinned at me before putting them away. I gave her a little wink and then turned to walk over to the man she pointed me to.

Vihney was chugging the last of his drink as I sat myself down across from him. He put his cup down, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Hey. Who are you?"

"Evelyn. You're Vihney, right?" I smiled at him.

He nodded, crossing his arms. Who told you?"

"The cute girl at the bar."

He chuckled, "Ah. Rae'lyn has a hard time not giving in when she thinks someone is cute."

I smirked, "Well, I guess it's a good thing she thinks I'm cute, then." I placed a finger on my chin, "Although, it probably did help that I was willing to pay her just for information."

"So, what can I do for you?" He perked up at the mention of payment.

"I'm looking for a pilot. Rae'lyn told me that you're one."  
He nodded, "I am. But where are you looking to go? And, how much are you willing to pay?"

"Jakku," I thought for a moment, "and 7 full portions."

He pursed his lips for a moment, "12."

"10." I countered.

"Deal!" He called out joyously. We shook hands and just as we were about to leave the establishment, 2 large men strode up to us.

Immediately, I sensed trouble.

Vihney let out a long sigh, "Hello boys. How can I help you two today?"  
The one closest to me grit his teeth, "You haven't paid off that debt yet. We want it. Now."

_Wonderful._

"Can we do this another time, boys? I have a little errand to run." Vihney replied, his hand just barely grazing his blaster, but the two men did not notice.

"Not happening," the other growled, "You are going to pay off that debt, one way or another."

_I did not have time for this._

The first one who spoke looked over at me and smirked, showing yellow teeth and I wrinkled my nose.

He turned back to Vihney, "I think we can erase your debt, but on one condition."

"And what's that?"

"Give us the girl instead." He nodded towards me.

_Hell. No._

Before Vihney and the two men could react, I held my hand up and flicked my wrist, sending them both flying into the wall. They crashed into a table and fell to the ground, glasses and dishes breaking and spilling all over the floor.

Everyone turned to look at what the commotion was. I walked over to the two men, looking down at them, "Next time, you should probably keep your mouth shut. I could have easily done worse, but I'm feeling merciful today." I gave them an innocent smile, shrugging before I turned on my heels and headed out the door, being sure to give Rae'lyn an apologetic look. Her mouth was gaping slightly, shocked at what she had just seen. I felt sort of bad, but only because she would likely be the one cleaning up the mess I had made.

Vihney followed close behind.

"So, uh... was that what I think it was?"

"Well," I paused, "What did you think it was?"

"That thing Jedi do to push people out of their way?"

I chuckled softly, "Close enough."

He looked at me, "So... you're a Jedi?"

I nodded.

"I didn't even know there were any left. I thought they were all killed by the First Order."

I sighed, looking down for a moment while we walked. "They pretty much did."

We walked in silence the rest of the time. I bit my lip and started playing with my necklace. It was a short walk to Vihney's ship. It was not very pretty to look at, but he insisted that it would fly well. He seemed trustworthy enough, but I kept a close eye on him. He knew I was a Jedi, and I wanted to make sure that he did not alert the First Order to my presence.

"Alright," he said, "Next stop, Jakku!"

***********************************

**Kylo Ren's POV**

I stood in the control center of the Starkiller Base, my hands on the console as I looked outside. It was quiet. Still. I mostly just heard people tapping on keyboards. There were not any ships nearby. None coming in or going out. I sensed someone coming near me and let out a loud sigh as I turned around.  
"Lord Ren." General Hux said, in the annoying voice that I had come to despise. His red hair was slicked back, and it looked like he did it using the grease in his hair rather than a hair product, and I made a face of disgust behind my helmet.

He stared at me, a look of cockiness in his green eyes which made me roll my eyes. "What do you want, General?"

"There have been some reports of a possible Jedi. I thought all of them except for Luke Skywalker were dead?" He sneered.

I narrowed my eyes, ignoring his question. "Where has he been spotted?"

" **She** has been spotted in Naboo. Both in a small village and a bar in Theed. One of the people who alerted us overheard her asking a pilot for help getting to Jakku."

I smirked.

 _She is probably looking for the map to Skywalker as well._ I could use that to my advantage.

"I see. I will take care of her myself. You're dismissed."

General Hux turned on his heel and stalked away.

_I wonder who it is. Well, whoever it is, it will be a pleasure killing her. But first, I will need to find out what she knows about Skywalker._

Turning on my heel, I headed back to my room. Once I had arrived, I took off my helmet, tossing it on the bed. After using the washroom, I came out of the bathroom and began to pace.

I had been sensing something dark approaching recently. Someone who was so filled with anger and hatred. However, perhaps this Jedi could be swayed to the Dark Side.

I wondered who it could be.

_Could it be Evelyn?_   
_No, definitely not. She is dead. I just know it._   
_Even if she were the one who survived, what would it change?_   
_Nothing. Absolutely nothing._   
_She means nothing to me now._

************************ ****

**Evelyn's POV**

On the way there, we talked about our childhoods, although I left a lot out. I decided to just tell him about the positive parts, the memories that I cherished. I was not going to bother him with my past problems.

_But were they past problems?_   
_Because they felt more like present ones._

It did not take us exceptionally long to get to Jakku, thankfully. Just like in my dream, the planet was completely covered in sand. I wrinkled my nose; I was not a fan of sand.

He looked over at me as we landed, "Well, here we are. It is not as nice as Naboo. I come here as little as possible."

"Yeah, really." I looked around; I could not even see a town nearby.

_This might take a while._

As I stood up, I reached into my pack and pulled out what I owed Vihney for his help. "As promised, here are 10 full portions." I handed them to him, smiling. He returned the smile, nodding. "Thanks. Do you have any idea where you're going from here?" He looked around.

I shook my head, "Nope. Any chance you can help me out with that?"

"I'll do the best I can." He chuckled and pointed west. "The closest village is about 10 km away from here, it's called Tuanul. I would suggest you start your search there. It is small, but who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky." He shrugged.

I smiled at him. "Hopefully. And thanks, you've been a huge help."

"It was my pleasure. But I should get going now. If you're ever in Naboo again you should look me up. We can get a couple of drinks and talk about the adventure you're about to go on." He laughed.

"I'm not sure if I will ever go back," I looked away for a moment, "But if I do, I'll definitely find you." I looked back up and we shook hands before Vihney stepped back into his ship. I stepped back and watched as he left. Once he was gone, I started heading west towards Tuanul. I hoped that I would find answers quickly.

I took my jacket off almost immediately, putting it in my pack. I then walked for about an hour and a half, stopping a few times to take a drink. When I was about halfway there, I stopped and ate one half portion, which left me with 1 and a half left. I was thankful that I had a decent amount of water and rations left over. My chest tightened, knowing that originally the portions that were now almost completely gone, had been meant for the children and Kamie to eat as well as myself. Now I had them all to myself. And I felt guilty for it.

_I should have been able to keep them safe. I was weak. I thought I would be stronger after training so vigorously while in hiding, but I was wrong._

I cried silently for a short time before I got up and wiped the sand off, putting my stuff back into my pack before I continued towards Tuanul.

By the time I arrived, everyone was already in their huts for the night. I walked through the village, and on one end of it I heard two voices whispering to each other from inside one of the tents, one voice sounded frantic. I also heard a droid beeping quietly, although I could not focus enough to hear what it was saying.

I slowly walked over to the tent where the voices were coming from and cursed silently as I tripped over my feet, the noise alerting the people inside to my presence. So much for being a graceful Jedi. I thought to myself in annoyance.

A moment later, a tanned man with dark hair and eyes burst out of the tent, his blaster raised. I slowly put up my hands in surrender, backing up a few steps while keeping my eyes on the man with the blaster. A small round droid, an orange and white BB unit, followed close behind.

"What were you doing?" He demanded; his blaster was pointed at my head.

Before I spoke, I noticed the symbol on his jacket.

_He was with the Resistance._

I relaxed a little bit, but I kept my hands up. "Sorry about the eavesdropping. I've been waiting for Leia to send me a message." I paused, frowning. "She said she would..."

He raised one eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

I sighed, "6 years ago, as Luke's Temple burned to the ground I barely escaped with my life." I avoided telling him more for the moment. It was not the time to give him my life story, there were more important matters at hand.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

_A valid question._

Suddenly, an older man walked out of the tent.

He looked at me for a minute, his blue eyes studying me intently. "We can trust her, Poe."  
"Are you sure?" He turned to the old man, who nodded wordlessly. Poe lowered his weapon, and then he waved me into the tent, but first he told his droid, who was called BB-8, to stay outside and warn us if there was any trouble.

"I'm Poe." the pilot said, "Evelyn." I replied.

The three of us sat down and it was a minute before Tekka spoke again.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes."

He held out a small chip. He told us that it was the map that led to Master Skywalker. My chest tightened as Tekka and Poe talked about him briefly before Tekka opened the map.

I frowned as I looked at it, running my finger along part of the projection. "It's not complete. We need to find a way to get the rest of the map somehow." I said as I began playing with my necklace, biting my lip.

Without warning, BB-8 came flying in, telling us that First Order ships were about to show up. Tekka put the map in a little pouch and handed it to Poe who put it in his pocket.

"You need to hide." Poe told Tekka.  
"You need to go." he responded, ushering us out of the tent. I hesitated for a moment, looking back at him, "Go." he called out to me, and I turned back around and hurried out of the tent.

The roaring of the ships assaulted my ears as I caught up to Poe. 3 ships filled with stormtroopers landed and immediately the village was overwhelmed with gunfire. They spilled out. There were so many of them, I would not have been able to count them even if I wanted to. In practically the blink of an eye, bodies of both stormtroopers and villagers littered the ground.

We headed towards Poe's ship, but before we got there I stopped and turned around, changing my mind as I found cover close by and grabbed a gun lying nearby, its owner a dead stormtrooper. Poe did not notice.

_They would not need this anymore._

I knew that I should leave with Poe, but I just needed someone to kill right now, and stormtroopers would do nicely. I shot at the ones who were closest to me. Surprisingly, I only missed them a few times. One by one, they fell to the ground. I heard an explosion behind me and turned to see the back of Poe's ship burst into flames. I swore under my breath and a minute later he ran over, taking the cover beside me.

Together, we shot at more of them, taking down quite a few. It was mainly Poe, though. I was alright with a blaster, but I was better with my lightsaber. The village was going up in flames, one of the stormtroopers even pulled out a flamethrower.

_Now that's kind of overkill._

Suddenly, my eyes locked on one stormtrooper. On their helmet was a bloody handprint and they were turning around in circles. Their gun was not in their hand and I could sense guilt and shame rolling off them in waves. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Poe raise his gun to shoot them, but I grabbed his attention, "What is it?" he whispered loudly.

"There's something off about that one. They are feeling guilt and shame, and a lot of it, I can sense it. They do not seem to want to hurt anyone anymore. Don't shoot him." He shrugged but did not argue with me.

The shooting stopped after a few more minutes and I placed the blaster on the ground beside me as one last ship appeared in the sky, slowly making its way to the ground. I could sense something extremely dark inside of it and I tensed up, grasping the hilt of my lightsaber as I watched.

Villagers were being shoved by stormtroopers as they were gathered into a group and I swore under my breath when I saw Tekka being led towards the ship as it hissed open, smoke billowing out. A cloaked person walked out, a mask hiding their face. They stopped at the bottom of the ramp and looked around before walking a few steps as the stormtroopers holding Tekka pulled him closer.

"Kylo Ren." Poe whispered, his nose wrinkling up in disgust. "I hate that guy."

All the villagers, except for Tekka, looked deathly afraid. Fear was not radiating off him like it was all of the others. Tekka looked calm and collected, standing tall. I had mad respect for the guy. But I also had a strange feeling when I looked at Kylo Ren.

It was like I had seen him before, somewhere.

After refusing to tell him anything, Ren cut Tekka down.

My heart stopped when I saw his lightsaber.

It was the cross-guard design.

My nails dug into the ground and I gritted my teeth, going to stand up. I was seeing red and I could feel the rage inside of me begging to get out. Immediately, Poe pulled me back down. "What the hell are you doing? You are a Jedi, aren't you? Doesn't that mean you should be hiding from the First Order?"

I shook my head furiously as I clenched my fists, making my knuckles turn white. "Kylo was there the night the Jedi Temple burned. I watched as he killed one of my classmates."

I stopped for a moment, my voice cracking. I took a deep breath to try and steady myself and continued, "He killed my friend Nirah. I held her hand while she died. This is personal. I need to spill his blood..." I trailed off as he looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I took some more deep breaths, trying to calm myself down and failing.

"Oookay... well, I'm going to come with you. Might as well give you some backup." He smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes. "And let me go first." Before I could answer, he ran out of cover, heading towards Ren as he shot at him with his blaster. I had to give the guy credit, he sure had guts.

Ren froze the shot in mid-air, making my eyes widen in surprise. Poe was also frozen. I watched for a moment as two stormtroopers grabbed Poe, dragging him to Ren and dropping him roughly on the ground.

Poe looked up at him, and I could see his smirk from my hiding spot.

"So... who's talking first? Are you talking first? Am I talking first?" I did not know this guy well, but he was damn funny. In better circumstances, I would have laughed.

I could not contain my fury anymore, so instead I ran out of my cover, igniting my lightsaber. The cry that emerged from my throat was that of pure rage.

I finally found the one responsible for that night. The worst night of my life. My purple blade was buzzing loudly in my ear, like a swarm of bees. I knew that Ren would probably do the same thing to me that he did to Poe, but I did not care. Maybe I would at least be able to save him.

Ren seemed shocked for a moment when he saw my lightsaber. But he quickly recovered and, as I had guessed, he froze me in place. He raised his other hand and my lightsaber slipped from my hand, it flew towards him and he caught it effortlessly. Disignited it, he clipped it to his own belt as his stormtroopers dragged me to him.

Poe looked at me, shaking his head in disappointment. "You shouldn't have stayed; I knew it was a bad idea." I rolled my eyes at him.

Ren got down to my level, his expression unreadable under the mask. For a long minute, he stared at me.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he grabbed a strand of my hair, twisting it between his fingers. I considered trying to pull away from his grasp but settled for glaring at him instead.

_At least for now._

"So, the rumors were true. I have been hearing that there was a Jedi still around. I thought all of them were dead." He mused, "It's too bad that you survived. No matter." He waved his hand nonchalantly as he stood up.

"I'm sure you will be useful in helping me get what I want." He looked over at Poe for a minute.

"Take them both. He might have a use as well."

_I should have known better than to think I could save Poe._

Ren turned around and took 2 steps towards his ship before he stopped. Without turning around, he waved his fingers in the direction of the villagers.

"Kill the rest of them."

And with another wave of Kylo Ren's hand, darkness swallowed me up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Evelyn's POV**

************************

I opened my eyes and lifted my head slowly. The room was entirely black, the only light was bright and artificial, and was pointed straight at me. It was slightly blinding, and I had to close my eyes again for a few minutes.

While my eyes were closed, I did my best to meditate. After a few minutes of focusing on my breathing, I opened my eyes. There was a presence that I had not sensed when I first woke up. A darkness like none I had never felt before, it seemed to be radiating around the entire room.

My eyes roamed until they found the source, a figure who practically blended in with the rest of the room.

Kylo Ren stepped closer, and my nose wrinkled in disgust.

"So," he started, the mask making him sound robotic.

"A Jedi survived the attack on Luke's Temple." He snarled, "Did anyone else survive?" He demanded, moving closer to me.

I raised my chin, staring at him evenly.

Even if no one survived, I would never tell him. Obviously, he knows that Luke is still alive, since Kylo's looking for the map to him.

"No." I replied.

"A bit of a shame," he said, and I raised an eyebrow, "It would have been fun to hunt down a bunch of Jedi. But I suppose I can settle for Luke, and you." He paused for a moment, as if mulling something over.

He got down to my level and stared at me, his expression unreadable. He ran his fingers across my neck, stopping where the necklace Ben had given me was resting. He took one of his gloves off and grabbed my necklace, almost gently.

I wanted to smack his hand away so badly, the restraints were the only things stopping me. He stared at my necklace for a long minute before letting it fall back down.

"The person who gave you that was a fool. He was weak for caring about you. For caring about any of the people in his life." He said evenly. Anger bubbled up inside of me and I pulled at the restraints, "You don't know anything about him!" I replied coldly, "And you were there the night Luke's Temple burned. I saw you." I looked away and closed my eyes, gritting my teeth.

Ren stood up suddenly, turning away. The hissing sound of his helmet being removed echoed throughout the dark room. I did not open my eyes or look at him. I did not care what he looked like.

_He was probably some ugly old man._

"Look at me." Kylo Ren said. Based on his voice, I could tell he was a man. I continued to ignore him, even though his voice stirred something in me. It sounded strangely familiar.

"I said," He growled, grabbing my chin, and turning it towards him roughly, "Look at me."

I hesitated for a moment before slowly opening my eyes to look at the man who was called Kylo Ren.

He was younger than I had thought. His hair was thick, wavy, and black. It fell a little bit past his chin. I was surprised that he did not have helmet head. His dark brown eyes bore into mine, but in the dark room they looked almost black. There was no light in his eyes.

_I had seen those eyes before._

My heart stopped, my blood ran cold and my breath caught in my throat as I stared at the man in front of me.

_It could not be..._

"Ben." I whispered as I struggled to hold back tears. I had assumed that he was dead, just like everyone else.

_Did Leia know that he was alive?_

His eyes flashed and he turned to the wall beside me, punching it.

 **"Don't. Call. Me. That"** He screamed, punching the wall with each word, and I tried not to flinch.

He turned back to me, raising his hand, and suddenly I could not breathe. I grabbed my throat, my nails digging into the skin, drawing blood. The tears I had been trying to hold in began spilling out as he choked me.

"Ben is dead! He was weak!" Kylo yelled, his free hand balling into a fist.

After a minute, he lowered his hand. I spent what seemed like forever gasping for breath, desperate for oxygen while he stood there, emotionless.

"I'm surprised you survived." He crossed his arms, watching me as I tried to catch my breath.

Once I could breathe properly again, I returned his gaze, "I bet you're disappointed."

He did not respond.

"Was it you who destroyed the temple, and killed everyone in it?" My fear was turning into rage and I began to see red, my heart beating so fast I thought it would burst out of my chest.

He looked at me, "I didn't destroy the temple. And I only killed those who tried to stop me from leaving."

I shut my eyes for a few moments, trying in vain to calm myself down.

_He is a liar._

My eyes flew open, and I looked at him with a hatred I had never felt in my life. It felt like my body had just been lit on fire.

 **"YOU LYING BASTARD!"** I yelled, thrashing violently as I tried to get free, trying to get closer to him. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hurt him.

_I wanted to kill him. So badly._

"Do you realize how your actions have affected your mot-"

He cut me off, "I don't care about General Organa. Or Han Solo, for that matter." His voice was cold, and I shivered involuntarily.

"I can sense your anger, and your hate." Ren leaned close, whispering in my ear. "That's not very Jedi-like of you. If you are not careful, you might start drifting over to the Dark side." I tried to ignore the chill that ran up my spine as he slowly ran a finger gently down the side of my face. I shook my head, trying to regain focus. I thought about Nirah.

"Nirah **DIED** in **MY ARMS!** I **WILL** kill you! I will slit your throat and watch as you bleed out!" I screamed. My throat began to hurt, and more tears were streaming down my face, but I did not care. I was too enraged now that I knew that my childhood best friend was responsible for the destruction of the place, I called home.

I tried to headbutt him.

A look of shock briefly crossed his features at my words but disappeared quickly. He laughed darkly and moved back before I could hit him.

"I only killed her because she attacked first. Just like the one you watched me kill while you watched from your bedroom window. I only acted in self-defense that night." He shrugged, his voice even. "And you know, we could do amazing things if you joined me. We would be unstoppable together." He continued, looking almost thoughtful now.

"You're just a wannabe Vader with that ridiculous mask. Even worse, you do not even need it to survive. You just wear it because you think it makes you look tough. You're just Snoke's little pet." I sneered, spitting on his boots.

That hit a nerve.

He started to punch the walls again, but this time he did it harder, and he spent at least a few minutes doing it.

When he had calmed down, he looked back at me.

"Are you finished with your little tantrum?" I asked him, rolling my eyes.

"You should be careful how you talk to me, he growled. "Now, tell me where the map is." He tried to slow down his breathing. "What the hell makes you think I would tell you?" I glared at him.

He let out a long sigh, "I didn't think you would, you are extremely stubborn after all." he paused, looking at me. "But I figured I might as well give you a chance to tell me what I want to know on your own." He shrugged.

I scoffed, "I'm stubborn? You're one to talk." I rolled my eyes, "Go ahead and try." I challenged, looking him directly in the eyes. I was terrified, but I was trying my hardest not to let him see.

Without another word, he lifted his hand to my temple. I could not help but flinch at his touch, and mentally slapped myself for being weak.

A grunt escaped my throat as he tried to probe my mind, searching for the information he needed. He was strong, much stronger than I had anticipated. Beads of sweat started rolling down my face, resisting him was exhausting me even more than I thought it would be. I never imagined trying to keep someone out of your mind would be so difficult, not to mention painful.

I screamed as he started to break through the wall I had put up in my mind.

_Climbing a tree with Ben._

I clenched my fists so hard they turned white, and I began to dig my nails into my palm.

_Being tickled by Chewie._

I could tell that he was getting tired as well, but he grits his teeth and pressed his fingers harder against my skin.

_Riding on Han's shoulders._

I knew I was not going to last much longer, but I still fought as hard as I could.

_Crying on Leia's shoulder._

I shut my eyes tightly, growling as I tried to put the wall back up before he found what he was looking for.

_Getting whipped in the face with a blaster._

I started thrashing again, even though I knew that it was pointless.

"GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD." I screamed

_Dismembering the stormtrooper._

I could not fight him anymore.

_Tekka showing us the map._

_I failed._

"Now, that wasn't so hard. Was it?" He let his hand drop to his side, and my head drooped, my tangled hair covering my face.

"How convenient. You have seen the map, so we do not even need the pilot anymore. And you chopping off that stormtrooper's limbs was quite lovely to watch." He smirked.

I lifted my head up just enough so that he could see me glare at him, before letting my head drop again.

For the next few minutes, neither of us said a word. As the memories of what happened the night the temple was destroyed replayed in my head, my anger returned, and I looked at him.

"Let me out of these stupid fucking restraints so I can hit you!" I hissed.

He thought about it for a little while, and then he smirked again. "Very well. But you will be cuffed." He said, shrugging as I balled my hands into fists.

With my hands cuffed, I would probably look like an idiot, and almost certainly would not do any damage. Oh well. I did not care. I just needed to hit him.

Kylo Ren released me from the restraints, being sure to cuff me in the process. Then he backed up and held out his arms, a cocky look plastered on his face. "Well? What are you waiting for?" He taunted, making me even angrier.

With a cry of rage, I ran towards him.  
He just stood there, staring at me with emotionless eyes.

I kicked him.  
He stared at me.

I punched him in the face.  
He just stared at me.

I punched him in the chest, becoming angrier with every punch and hitting harder every time. I put all my remaining energy into hitting him.

He just stood there, staring at me.

After a couple minutes of doing this I stopped, exhausted once again. I slowly sank to the ground and began to sob, my body shaking.

And he stared at me.  
Again.

After another few minutes, he walked over to his helmet and put it back on. I did not look up as I heard him walk back over to me. He picked me up by my arm. It was not roughly, but not quite gently either and lead me to the door. Once we were outside of the interrogation room, he pulled me back to my cell.

When we returned, he took off my cuffs before opening the door. He pushed me inside, staring at me for a moment before closing the door, his expression unreadable under that stupid mask. I walked slowly over to the wall and leaned against it, listening as his footsteps became quieter until I could not hear them anymore.

I sank slowly to the ground and began to cry.  
Again.

I was alone.

_Again._


	5. Chapter 5

**Kylo Ren's POV**

Once I was back in my room, I took my helmet off, throwing it at the wall as I swore loudly.

_Evelyn survived._

_And she still wears her necklace._

_Why would she keep it?_

_Why do I care?_

"I don't." I said out loud, although my eyes drifted over to the end table, where mine was buried.

I walked to the table, opening the drawer and reached my hand in, it was laying at the very back, bunched up in a ball. I pulled it out and untangled the chain, looking at it carefully, I left the drawer open.

*****

_My room disappeared, and suddenly I was a teenager again, sitting beside Evelyn on the grass. She stared up at the sky, leaning back with her hands stretched behind her to keep herself upright. I stared at her._ _The wind gently blew her raven hair in her face, tickling her. She giggled, and then noticed me staring at her._

_She looked over at me with wide green eyes, her pink lips turning up into a smile as she raised an eyebrow,_ _"What are you staring at, weirdo?" She teased._

" _I- uh, just thought there was a bee flying around you, but I don't see it anymore." I lied, reaching into my pocket to grab the gift I got her, while at the same time trying to hide the redness that appeared on my face._

_I hope she didn't see me blush._

_I pulled out the necklace and looked at her._ _It was silver, it had a triskele in the middle which was surrounded by knot-work._ _She saw it and grinned, her eyes lighting up._

_"Oh my god. It's amazing! What's the occasion?" She teased, bumping her shoulder against mine._ _I shrugged, smiling at her._

_"Do I need to have a reason to give my best friend a gift?"_

_She rolled her eyes, grabbing her hair with one hand she looked at me,_

_"Would you mind helping me put it on?"_ I _shook my head and unclasped the necklace, holding it in front of her while she held up her hair I placed it around her neck._

_She let her hair fall back down as she turned to face me. The smile that appeared on her face made butterflies start fluttering around in my stomach._

_"Thank you, Ben." She pulled me into a tight hug and I held her close, her arms wrapped around my neck and mine around her waist. She buried her face in my neck and as she did, some of her hair tickled my face._

_I blushed again, and was relieved that she wouldn't be able to see._

_Once we pulled away, I reached into my pocket once again and pulled out an identical one. "I have one just like it." I grinned at her._

_"That is kind of cheesy, but also pretty cool." She laughed, "Do you want help putting yours on?"_

_"Sure, here." I unclasped mine, handed it to Evelyn and then turned around. Her fingers brushed my neck as she put it on, leaving goosebumps._

_We laid on the grass side-by-side, looking up at the clouds. We had not had the chance to relax in a little while, so I decided I was going to make the most of it._

*****

Back in my room, I growled in annoyance and threw the necklace back in the drawer, slamming it shut. I tried to ignore the small tug at my heart that started when Evelyn broke down in front of me. I had wanted so badly to comfort her, but I could not. I had to focus.

I started pacing around my room, staring at the black floor as I paced.

_Could she be responsible for the darkness that the Supreme Leader has been sensing?_ _He will need to be informed of this._ _What will he decide to do with her?_ _Again_ , w _hy do I care?_

I stopped pacing.

"I don't." I repeated to myself.

_She meant something to me once._ _No. She meant something to_ ** _Ben_** _._ _But Ben is dead._ _He was weak._ _He died the night the academy was destroyed._

She means nothing to **me**.

I sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard as I thought.

_She could potentially be a powerful ally, though._ _Hatred is radiating off her stronger than I would have ever imagined._ _I had only ever seen her become that angry a few times._ _It seems that the events that she has gone through since then have significantly reduced her ability to control her rage._ _With a little bit of a push, I bet I could convince her join me._ _She wants so badly to keep children safe, she always has. I can probably use that to my advantage._

_I will tell her that she will have enough power to do that very thing._

A knock on my door distracted me from my thoughts. "What?" I barked, annoyed that I had been interrupted.

"Lord Ren," The voice of General Hux answered on the other side of the door. "Supreme Leader Snoke demands your presence." I could tell he had a smirk on his faced based on the sound of his voice. I'm sure he assumed I had found no answers. The fool.

"Very well. Now go." I replied, standing up I put the necklace back in the drawer before closing it, and then walked over to my helmet, putting it back on.

When the footsteps of General Hux faded, I let out a long sigh as I looked at the drawer again before turning and walking out of the room, pushing thoughts of Evelyn out of my head.

_Time to go see Snoke._

I stepped out of the elevator, entering a large room with ceilings that seemed to stretch on forever. My steps echoed as I made my way to the end of the room where a giant hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke was waiting. Once I got there, I kneeled to the ground, my head bowed.

"Have you found the map to Skywalker?" His voice rang out, echoing throughout the room. He was sitting on a throne. I looked up, "An old man had it but gave it to a pilot working with the Resistance. He had given it to a droid, however he and his companion, a woman, have seen the map."

"Good." He leaned back in his throne, "Have you attained the information you need?" Snoke questioned.

I stood up. "Part of it. I do not know where the other part is. But I will find it. I'm uncertain whether or not the woman knows where it is, I will be continuing to interrogate her in order to find out."

"The darkness I have been sensing, do you feel how much it has grown?"

I held my hands behind my back, "Yes. And I'm almost certain it is coming from the woman."

"She is filled with hatred. I can sense that it is begging to come out, and may do so soon. You must push her, sway her towards it further. She would be an asset."

I nodded, "Yes. I know what she wants. I knew her when we were younger, very well. I will use that to my advantage."

"Very well," Snoke replied. "Get on it, then."

I bowed my head again, "Yes, Supreme Leader."

I turned and walked away, feelings swimming in my head, but I quickly pushed them away in an effort to avoid Snoke sensing them. I re-entered the elevator, leaning back against the wall as it went up.

Once I reached the top, I turned left and headed back towards Evelyn's cell, a small smirk on my face as I felt fear radiating off of most of the people I walked by. I entered Evelyn's cell, dismissing the guards as I walked over to her.

I removed my helmet, my eyebrow raising as I watched her. She was on the ground, fast asleep. She was sweating profusely, her dark hair sticking to her pale face and soft moans occasionally slipped out of her pink lips. I leaned against the bars of her cell, watching for a little while as she had what looked like a pretty intense dream.

_She was so beautiful._

Suddenly she bolted upright, her eyes snapping open.

I smirked, "Finally. What were you dreaming about?"

Her cheeks turned red as she rubbed the back of her hand on her forehead. She glared at me for a few moments before she sighing and looking away.

"It was nothing." She replied softly, raising her hand up to her lips.

_She definitely had an intense dream._

That's how I knew she was lying.

"You still can't lie to me." I chuckled darkly. "Why don't you want to tell me?" I asked, pretending to be offended.

She turned her head enough so that I could see as she rolled her eyes at me. "Just forget about it."

I stepped back, crossing my arms. "I talked to the Supreme Leader. He thinks with time, I can convince you to join me. For the time being, you will stay here. I will train you during the day. You will remain in your room for the rest of the time. You will have food brought to you three times a day."

I paused for a moment and looked around at her cell, "However, you will be permitted to stay in something... nicer than this." I finished.

I held up one hand to keep her frozen in place as I unlocked her cell. I walked over and helped her stand, unconsciously deciding to be a little gentler. I put the cuffs on her before turning on my heels. I put my helmet on, and then walked out of the room.

There were very few people walking down the halls, so our footsteps sounded even louder than usual. I snuck a few looks at Evelyn as we walked, still wondering what she was dreaming about. I could tell that she was nervous, she was never very good at hiding her emotions. I saw her reach up to her neck, grabbing her necklace gently. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she played with it.

A few minutes later, she looked over at me, “What, you’re not even going to make conversation? No wonder no one wants to talk to you.” She joked.

I stayed silent, but behind the helmet a smirk crossed my face.

_Some things about her are still the exact same._

We finally arrived at the room I decided to let her stay in. She would be more likely to join me if I didn’t treat her horribly. I put my hand on the sensor for a moment before it clicked.

When it opened, I motioned for her to enter first, I followed close behind. Taking off my helmet, I placed it on a table by the door. I saw Evelyn look around the room as I took off her cuffs.

"Do you like it?"

She turned to look at me, and her gaze lingered on my face for a long time.

I think she was too busy staring at me to hear me.

I asked again, "Do you like it?" She blinked a couple of times and then shook her head, clearing her throat. "Why do you care?" She mumbled before she turned, walking to the bed. I walked a few steps behind her.

She sat down at the edge of the bed. I considered sitting beside her but instead leaned against the bed frame. I looked down at her.

She crossed her arms. "Are you planning on leaving anytime soon? I need to shower.”

Thoughts of her in the shower flashed through my mind and my cheeks turned red. I quickly pushed them away and I plastered a smirk on my face.

"I will if you want me to. But I don't think you do."

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "At least tell me where I can find some clothes to change into when I’m done."

I turned and pointed to the dresser beside the bed.

"Right, thanks." She mumbled and walked over, grabbing some clothes.

Walking to the bathroom, she stopped in the doorway, taking one last look at me before she closed the door.


End file.
